The Druids By Peter Berresford Ellis
WHY IS THIS BOOK ON MY SHELF? For anyone who wants to have a good introduction to who the Druids were without getting bogged down in academic speech, this is a highly readable book.
Sometimes background reading can get a bit dry, and if you are like me, you get a bit distracted and find that with some books you need to keep a dictionary handy just to get through a chapter. So, you will be happy to know that Mr. Berresford Ellis manages to deliver a vast array of information without making you feel like an idiot for not understanding the long words or convoluted delivery.
And in my world that's a winning scenario. Not everyone who is interested in, or studies history needs a doctorate to read about, and enjoy, factual information.
So why should we read it?
We all have a vision of what a Druid is, from the Asterix cartoons of our youth (for some of us, anyway), to the guy who lives at the end of the street.
We've all seen — or some of us have — movie depictions of magical, shapeshifting beings who are, at best, quirky and, at worst, terrifying.
But where do we begin if we want to find out the actual truth about Druids?
Mr Berresford Ellis looks at archaeological evidence, etymology and historical written evidence to produce a book that is probably one of the best 'go-to' works for anyone wanting to learn more about Druids.
He looks at their standing in Celtic society and the roles they played within it, as well as their training, philosophy, beliefs and origins. He also examines Roman accounts and the ways in which those accounts contributed to the image of the Druids that, for years, many of us — Hollywood included — thought was the reality.
I will be looking more at Druids in my next Research Blog - coming soon.